This is a little rant I'm afraid. I know it's basically my fault BUT!!!!!

Sometimes when at clients premises, I have to use a series of rescue/installation discs to resolve an issue.

Sometimes, it can take quite a few hours to sort out the multiple problems people allow to accumulate on their computer before seeking professional help. A lot of which is helped along by the 'bar room fixers' who know absolutely sod all in real terms about much at all.

They don't know what the real problem is because they've not seen it and clients rarely know how to describe the problem fully anyway - not that there's anything wrong with that, I don't expect it.

The client then goes and mis-follows the wrong advice they've been given and make an even bigger dogs breakfast of the whole thing and after they've totally screwed their computer, they call me.

Now to the point of my rant.

After I've spent hours sorting out the cock-up, I put my things back in my bag (or so I think) and head off home. Some days, or even weeks, later I open my bag looking for the discs to find that I've accidentally left at my clients.

The annoying thing is the client, who now has a full set of service and recovery discs that I've paid for, and doesn't have a clue in hell how to use them, hasn't had the decency to ring me and let me know I've left them. This has happened every time I've done it.

I now have to go through the time and expense of getting a new set of dics together.

ONE THING YOU GET FROM ME IS HONESTY, IF YOU CAN'T RETURN THE FAVOUR THEN YOU DON'T DESERVE THE SERVICES I OFFER.

​I will work out where I left them and that person will have a heavy bill next time they call me!

It just goes to show, there's a lot of really dishonest immigrants out there.

A group called Malware Must Die have just reported they have successfully identified and suspended 138 Cryptolocker Command and Control (C&C) servers.  This is wonderful news but is surely just a drop in the ocean but there could be other ramifications with this for those people already infected with Cryptolocker.

The way Cryptolocker works is by encrypting your files using a public and private key. The public key is on your computer and the private key is held elsewhere. In this case on a C&C server. Once this process is complete, it then tells you you're infected and currently, the ONLY way you can get your files back is by paying the 'ransom' displayed on your screen before the countdown timer gets to zero. This 'ransom' could be anything upwards of $300.

But what if your private key is on one of the C&C servers suspended by Malware Must Die? Quite simply, I believe your files are toast because your computer cannot communicate with the C&C server to retrieve the private key and decrypt your files.

Don't think this will never happen to you. It has hit BIG companies and private individuals alike, all who believed they were immune to such attacks, or didn't think they had anything worth bothering about. How wrong they ALL were.

Now if you haven't done so already, get your files backed up off your computer. If you back up to a USB drive, make sure it's totally disconnected from the computer between backups and don't try backing up if you find yourself infected with Cryptolocker unless you want to lose the lot.

How do you back up?

You could use the Windows Backup and Restore option if you wish, or just follow the instructions below.

First, make sure all your files are where they should be - somewhere in your 'My Documents' folder (Win XP) of somewhere in your 'Libraries' folder (Vista/7/8) and not on your desktop like I see all too often.

Then all you need to do is copy the 'My Documents/Libraries' folder to the external drive.

Keep safe!

I bet you didn't know that, did you! I wonder how many of you out there have been doing your on-line banking using some Android App, or other in blissful ignorance.

Me? Never! Android is the most targeted mobile operating system on the market - just like Windows is the most targeted operating system on PCs.

Ahhh, you reply, I've got my anti-virus program in place to protect me!

That is good, says I but the way this works by-passes your anti-virus programs protection system.

The best of it is, this vulnerability was discovered some 4 years ago in Android 1.6 (Donut) and has been carried over into every version since.

Basically, the flaw exposed in the Application Packages (APK) allows a hacker to add malicious code into an already signed App without changing the Apps signature so the App still reads as genuine and safe.

It is effectively like giving the hackers the keys to your device. They can steal all your data, accounts, passwords and run any App on your phone without your knowledge.

Google were notified of this vulnerability in February (which begs the question why were they kept in the dark for so long) and have reworked the Google Play store so it rejects any Apps that are vulnerable to the flaw. Any infected Apps already on your phone will no longer get updates from Google Play Store.

What this means for you is that any App you downloaded before this month COULD (not IS) be infected. The only ways to ensure your phone has no infected Apps is to download and install your Android operating system from the Android archives (only for experienced users) or uninstall all your Apps and reset your phone to factory defaults (assuming this hasn't been infected).

How do I keep myself from being infected?

Keep away from those 3rd party app providers - only download from a trusted source - make sure you've got that in your settings be careful of emails and don't plug in any USB device from your friends (this also means don't plug your USB device into a friends phone). Basically the same advice you give to anyone with a computer.

Don't have nightmares folks!

All registered trade marks acknowledged.

I'm getting more and more clients calling me because their Yahoo email is being compromised.

You need to ask yourselves why. Your account becomes compromised because you have used a password that's totally insecure.

What do I mean by that?     You are using a name or a word that is in the dictionary! Makes things dead easy to crack.

What should you do?        Get your password changed NOW, before it gets hacked. Your password should appear to be a random set of numbers AND letters (both upper and lower case). Don't just use a word and replace letters with numbers (people often use the number 4 to represent the letter A) because that's as bad.

The people trying to get into your account have already got your email address from someone else who has had their account hacked so they're now after yours. If you know anyone who's had their account hacked then you need to change your password now.

It would seem that they've had all the rich pickings from hotmail and are now starting to target Yahoo more and more.

Basically, once they've got your email address, they have a computer constantly filling in different passwords in the hope they'll get yours. The first things they try are words from the dictionaries (all languages), names, mis-spellings, letter replacements and so on. This is why it should appear to be a random set of numbers and letters.

Please don't try the argument that you can't remember something like that because you don't have to remember it. Another massive don't is let you browser remember it for you. When you enter passwords, you get a prompt asking to remember your password - don't do it because they can easily get them from there.

Your password should look something like this - F5to0%2fmYgZW - the longer the better. I would recommend at least 12 characters.

Another nono with your passwords is use the same one for everything you log in to on the internet because as soon as they've got it, they're into everything you have. Use a different password for each website - email, facebook, twitter .......

Whilst it appears handy to link all your social networking together so you only make one post and it propagates across all your accounts, do you really want someone to have access to everything you own without your permission and make posts on your behalf!

Get a book to record your passwords and keep it at the side of your computer. Don't be tempted to create a document on the pc and keep them there. That's as bad as asking your browser to save them.

Not only will they start spamming from your account, they will delete all your contacts once they have taken them. They will change the settings in your email account and forward all emails to their account, so get into your email account now and familiarise yourself with all the settings, where you can change your password, where the mail forwarding and all the other controls are. That way you can keep ahead of the cyber criminals.

Just because your account hasn't been hacked yet, it's just a matter of time for 80% of you so act now and protect yourself!